NYC Data Science Academy partners with CARTO to teach Location Intelligence

The NYC Data Science Academy has announced a partnership with CARTO to teach and train future data science students in the field of location analysis.

As analytics, big data, and IoT are beginning to transform almost every industry, there is a growing demand for data science employees with an understanding of how to process, manipulate, and interpret location and geographical data. Students will be trained using the latest data science tools — including CARTO’s spatial analysis platform — to visualize, analyze, and draw insights from location data, in addition to in-classroom guest lectures from CARTO data scientists on advanced spatial data techniques and real-world location-specific use cases. The inclusion of location analysis and intelligence is a strategic and innovative approach to provide NYCDSA students with cutting edge techniques in the data science industry.

“Data scientists extract insights from complex data to tell stories and explain ‘why,'” said Vivian Zhang, founder and CTO of the NYCDSA.  “A key component to forming and enriching those data stories is understanding the setting. In this case, when dealing with data, setting means location and answering ‘where.’ This is a crucial component to understanding a complex data story.”

“We are thrilled to work with CARTO to provide their best-in-class software and technology to our students and also host expert guest lectures from their data scientists. At the NYCDSA, our goal is to ensure students get the most rigorous and comprehensive data science education and can apply advanced analytic tools in the real world. Collaborating with CARTO enables us to continue towards our goal of strengthening students’ ability to analyze various types of data, including location, and to make data-informed geospatial decisions.”

During the NYCDSA’s 12-week, full-time data science bootcamp, students become proficient data scientists using the programming languages R, Python, Hadoop & Spark, as well as some of the most popular data manipulation packages such as XgBoost, dplyr, ggplot2. Students work alone and in teams to create at least four self-directed projects.  They will have access to CARTO’s spatial analysis platform and a full suite of location data to build insights on their data science projects.

“With CARTO’s APIs, data scientists can take full advantage of the spatial analysis capabilities of CARTO’s platform,” says CARTO Map Scientist Andy Eschbacher. “Using integrations like our SQL API with Python pandas or R dataframes, workflows can easily be built to leverage the spatial structure in one’s data. The outputs then can be mapped and analyzed further within an interactive dashboard in our Builder.”

CARTO’s distinctive focus on location intelligence revolves around scalable data analysis and geospatial interpretation, adding significant value to NYCDSA’s robust program. The goal of the partnership is for students to become more involved with geographic data and have the opportunity to dive deeper into behavioral patterns and trends. CARTO’s location intelligence platform allows for a more efficient use and handling of location data, inspiring the desire to explore, innovate, and understand the real world.